"Basho and the River Stones" by Tim Myers, Illustrated by Oki S. Han

Image Courtesy of: http://imagethumbnails.milo.com/004/968/908/290/4968228_3711908_290.jpg

Bibliographic Citation

Title: Basho and the River Stones

Author: Tim Myers

Illustrator: Oki S. Han

Year of Publication: 2004

Publisher City: New York

Publisher: Marshall Cavendish

ISBN: 9780761451655

Author Website: http://www.timmyersstorysong.com/TM_Website/Homepage.html

Illustrator Website: No Illustrator Website

Media Used for Artwork: Watercolor

Awards

·         Junior Library Guild selection, 2004

·         NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book, 2005

·         Nominated for California Young Reader Medal (Picture Books for Older Readers Category), 2007-2008

·         School Library Journal Starred Review

Annotation

Basho lives in harmony with the foxes who like to eat from the cherry trees on his property until one selfish kitsune tricks Basho.  The kitsune and Basho soon learn the importance of friendship and what wealth really is.

Personal Reaction

                With the popularity of manga and anime this story is a great addition to teach older readers more about the Japanese culture.  Not only will they learn the name of Basho, one of Japans most famous haiku poets, they will also learn about the popular myth of kitsunes.  In myth people should be wary of the foxes that can transform their appearance and other items.  But Myers reinvents the story to show how kitsune’s could be friends with humans.  It works quite well that both Basho and the fox learn a lesson.  Instead of the fox constantly being the trickster, he realizes his own morals and need to help the poet he tricked in the first place.

                The illustrations mix classic images from the Japanese culture flawlessly to tell the story that Myers created.  I adore the fact that all of the foxes wear traditional robes along with Basho.  This shows that they are more than just animals in myth.  The patterns of the robes are also used as background on some of the pages, which is a good visual reminder to readers.  I enjoy the fact there is so much detail in the images that compliments the simplicity of the haiku poems in the text.  It shows how the poems are just more than a few lines.  The illustrations show that haiku’s speak volumes.